KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s government has issued an experimental license to Bright Sparks Farm Limited for the cultivation, processing, and exportation of medicinal cannabis, operating under strict guidelines and supervision by the Uganda Police Force.
A clearance letter, dated July 21 and signed by Ugandan Minister of Internal Affairs, Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire, grants the experimental license to the directors of Bright Sparks Farm Limited. The Inspector General of Police (IGP) received a copy of the letter.
“The licence is not transferable and guides the farm to conduct their business in Kisweramindu and Lwampanga in Nakasongola District; and Muwanya in Luweero District. In line with the existing controls, the Uganda Police Force will supervise the farm operations as mandated,” the letter stipulates.
This experimental license follows an earlier application submitted by the same firm on June 11, seeking a license to cultivate, process, and export medicinal cannabis.
The legal framework for this development was established in February last year, when President Yoweri Museveni assented to the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2023. This Act, among other provisions, permits the licensed farming and use of cannabis strictly for medicinal purposes within the country.
Uganda’s law imposes severe penalties for various offenses related to substance abuse. Individuals found cultivating prohibited plants without a license issued by the Minister of Health face a fine of Ush 2.4 billion, or three times the market value of the prohibited plant, or imprisonment for five years, or both.
Controlled substances listed under this law include cannabis and Khat, commonly known as mairungi or miraa.
While the law aims to prevent the abuse of prohibited substances, some leaders and stakeholders are advocating for the government to initiate widespread community sensitization programs about the new legislation.
Mr. Superito Kirori, the chairperson of Zirobwe Sub-county in Luweero District, noted that some individuals in his area are secretly cultivating marijuana, claiming the law now permits it for medicinal use.
“Our people need to be sensitised about the different clauses of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Control Act 2023. Many local farmers are already misinterpreting the law under the guise of cultivating cannabis for their own medicinal use,” Mr. Kirori stated.
The Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2023 Assented to by President Museveni on February 2, 2024, the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act 2023 aims to consolidate and amend existing laws related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
It addresses control, possession, and trafficking of these substances, regulates the cultivation and gathering of prohibited plants, and provides for the forfeiture of property derived from or used in illicit traffic, in accordance with international conventions.
